Professional Documents
Culture Documents
1
2 2 PLOT
within-the-show.[7] Following another meeting in mid- Russell Bennett, who usually performed that function in
1952, they called in long-time Rodgers and Hammer- the pairs musicals but who was not available.[14] Irene
stein stage designer Jo Mielziner and hired him to de- Shara was engaged to design the more than 300 cos-
sign the sets. Mielziner conrmed that a scene could be tumes which would be needed.[3] The show was originally
played part onstage and part in the backstage world, but named Hercules and Juliet, but they soon changed it to
that this would be expensive.[8] In August 1952, Ham- Me and Juliet. The Majestic Theatre, which Rodgers and
merstein began a sketch of the plot; by early October he Hammerstein desired to have for Me and Juliet, was cur-
had a near-complete rst draft.[9] As the show was to be rently occupied by their South Pacic, four years into its
musical comedy, the pair hired one of the top musical run. Arrangements were made to shift South Pacic to
comedy directors, George Abbott, who accepted the po- the Broadway Theatre, though due to schedule conicts,
sition without reading the script. He regretted the haste this meant moving that show to Boston for ve weeks.[8]
of this decision as soon as he read the script, nding it
sentimental and melodramatic. He conded his concerns
to the pair; in response, Hammerstein told him to make 2 Plot
whatever changes in the script he thought best.[10] With
Hammersteins permission, Abbott made major changes For theatrical terminology, see Stage (theatre).
to the plot.[11]
Hammerstein had only briey described the show-within- The entire action of the show takes place in and close to a
the-show. Fearing the show would be uninteresting, Ab- Broadway theatre in which the long-running musical "Me
bott hoped that some highlights would be furnished when and Juliet " (the "show-within-the-show") is playing. The
the show-within-the-show, as yet only briey described setting is the early 1950s.
by Hammerstein, was eshed out.[11] According to au-
thor and composer Ethan Mordden in his book about the
duos works, Hammerstein thought the show-within-the- 2.1 Act 1
show was to be:
A half-hour remains before the show is to begin. Electri-
cian Sidney and chorus girl Jeanie are irritated at Sidneys
something bizarre, to stand out and amaze
fellow electrician, Bob, for not being there. Sidney needs
us, the better to set o the plain life of the actor
Bobs help; Jeanie, Bobs girlfriend, is annoyed at being
... We shall imagine some rather advanced mu-
stood up. Sidney warns Jeanie that Bob may not be the
sical of the near future, something beyond even
right man for her; these are doubts she has too (Musical
Allegro, with archetypical charactersa sim-
numbers: A Very Special Day"/"Thats the Way it Hap-
ple hero and his lovable Juliet, the rapacious
pens).
Don Juan and his volatile Carmen. Then the
audience will always know where it is. Con- Jeanie leaves, and Bob appears. Bob tells Sidney he likes
trast is the key. The show-within must look and dating Jeanie, but does not plan to marry her. When Sid-
sound, at every moment, as far from real life as ney jokes that Jeanie can do better than Bob, the larger
possible.[12] man momentarily chokes him. Jeanie sees this, adding
to her doubts about Bob. Larry, the assistant stage man-
ager, is also attracted to Jeanie (reprise of Thats the Way
Hammerstein included an incident he had seen when he
was a neophyte assistant stage manager: a chorus boy it Happens).
came up to a chorus girl and asked to use some of her Stage manager Mac sees to the nal preparations, and the
mascarato disguise a hole in the boys black socks.[13] overture to the internal show is played by the orchestra,
Hammerstein stated, we were religious in keeping away led by Dario, the conductor (Overture to Me and Juliet").
from the trite thingsthe kindly old stage door man The internal shows curtain rises (Marriage Type Love):
named Pop, the pretty little understudy who replaces the the main male character, Me (performed by Charlie,
star on opening night. We steered clear, too, of the back- a singer), tells the audience about the girl he wants to
stage story of a company putting on a new show, with all marry, Juliet (Lily, a singer). He also tells the audience
the anxieties of the actors and producers ... It seemed of the girl he is determined not to marry, Carmen, who
right to focus on a show which is already running because scares him. Me feels Carmen (the lead female dancing
we wanted to tell a story about a community, the back- role) is better suited to his boss, Don Juan (the lead male
stage community, and this community becomes settled dancer). As the internal show continues, Bob and Sidney
and established after a show opens.[13] are on the light bridge. Bob identies with Don Juan for
In addition to Abbott, the duo recruited other profes- his reluctance to marry (Keep It Gay).
sionals experienced in musical comedy. Choreographer Another day at Me and Juliet, and the dancers are prac-
Robert Alton had worked in such hits as Panama Hattie ticing under Macs supervision (conclusion of Keep It
and in movie musicals. Don Walker was hired to do the Gay). At Larrys urging, Jeanie decides to audition for
orchestrations; his would be simpler than those of Robert the position of second understudy for the role of Juliet.
2.2 Act 2 3
played in the chorus during the New York run was fu- choreography, but stated, This is their Valentine to show
ture star Shirley MacLaine; Shirley Jones was a chorus business, expressed in the form of a show-within-a-show;
girl in the Chicago performances.[32] Subsequent pro- and it has just about everything except an intelligible
ductions include one by Kansas Citys Starlight Theatre story.[43] Herald-Tribune critic Walter Kerr noted that
in 1955.[33] Equity Library Theatre produced it in New Rodgers and Hammerstein have come perilously close to
York in 1970;[34] it returned to that city, though not to writing a show-without-a-show.[25] George Jean Nathan
Broadway, in 2002 with the York Theatre.[32] A London of the Journal American stated that Hammersteins book
production was presented by the Finborough Theatre in has the eect of hanging idly around waiting for an idea
2010 in a fty-seat theatre; the production was billed as to come to him.[27] Robert Coleman of the Daily Mir-
the shows European premiere.[35] ror noted, Having set new high standards for musicals
throughout the world, Rodgers and Hammerstein dipped
into the lower drawer of their desk for Me and Juliet. It
5 Musical numbers proved a big disappointment for this dyed-in-the-wool R.
& H. fan.[44] John Chapman of the Daily News com-
mented, It is at its most interesting when Jo Mielziners
6 Musical treatment and recording sets are in motion.[44] According to Steven Suskin in
his compilation of Broadway opening night reviews, the
seven major New York critics allotted the production no
One source of Rodgerss excitement for the concept that
raves, one favorable review, one mixed, four unfavorable,
became Me and Juliet was his view that a contemporary
and one pan.[42]
musical gave him the opportunity for a contemporary
score. At the time Rodgers wrote the score, a Latin dance One well-received number was Keep It Gay, a song
craze had swept the United States, and its inuence found which in rehearsal had been assigned to several dierent
its way into the music for Me and Juliet. Rodgers put an performers before ending with Bob. The song was liked
onstage jazz trio in the production and encouraged the in part due to the novelty of its setting: it begins with Bob
members to improvise.[12] Among the trio was jazz artist singing from the light bridge high above the stage; follow-
Barbara Carroll as Chris, rehearsal pianist.[37] Intermis- ing a blackout the internal play performers take it up on
sion Talk, the chatter among audience members early the stage below, and following another blackout, the per-
in the second act, is given a bouncy melody and sly refer- formers are seen in their workout clothes, at a rehearsal
ences to a number of shows then on Broadwayincluding some weeks later. Hammerstein gave credit for the scene
the duos own The King and I.[38] According to author to Mielziner, and suggested that it demonstrated one way
and composer Ethan Mordden, Rodgerss score found in which the book had aected the music.[45]
[Rodgers & Hammerstein] going for impish, nimble, the Abbott stated that there were two reasons for what he con-
sound of the Hit Parade as reimagined by [them]".[12] sidered to be the shows failure. The rst was Rodgers and
Rodgers borrowed the music for No Other Love from Hammersteins overcondence; they thought of them-
his award-winning score for Victory at Sea.[27] RCA, selves as Broadways Golden Boys who could do no
which had those rights, arranged for Perry Como to wrong.[28] The other was the play-within-the-play, which
record the song, and it was rushed onto the market to co- had not been thoroughly thought out by anyone. Ac-
incide with the shows Broadway opening. The record cording to Abbott, Hammerstein remained positively
became a number-one hit for Como on the Disc Jockey Sphinx-like on the subject. At a loss to understand
chart, though #2 as a best seller, remaining on the charts the characters of the play-within-the play, Alton came
for 22 weeks.[39] up with nothing more than routine song-and-dance num-
bers. During the run, the duo approached choreographer
Hischak described the original cast album as surpris-
Jerome Robbins and asked him if he could x the dances.
ingly lively and mostly enjoyable for a musical that was
Robbins said that he could, but he would not, as it would
considered so dull on stage.[40] He pointed to Intermis-
kill Bob Alton.[46] According to Hammerstein biogra-
sion Talk as a number which probably works better in a
pher Hugh Fordin, "[the] intended contrast between on-
recording than on stage and states that there is no mis-
stage and backstage life was never achieved because the
taking the hypnotic power of 'No Other Love'".[40] The
onstage show was so tepid and confusing.[21]
original cast recording was released on compact disc in
1993.[41] Thats the Way it Happens was included in the 1996
stage version of Rodgers and Hammersteins 1945 movie
musical, State Fair.[47] According to David Lewis in his
7 Critical reception and assess- history of the Broadway musical, The Rodgers and
Hammerstein oce has, it would appear, given up on
ment [later R&H musical] Pipe Dream and [Me and] Juliet ever
nding an audience ... so these songs are up for grabs.[48]
Critics views were neutral to unfavorable.[42] The New Composer and author Ethan Mordden, in his book on the
York Times critic Brooks Atkinson praised the acting and
7
Jim (Don Juan), principal dancer Robert Fortier [32] The Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization.
[35] Wolf.
Betty, successor to Susie as principal dancer Joan
McCracken [36] Rodgers & Hammerstein, p. 456.
8 10 EXTERNAL LINKS
11.2 Images
File:George_S_Irving.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/George_S_Irving.jpg License: Public
domain Contributors: Souvenir Program for Me and Juliet Original artist: Unknown<a href='https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718'
title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/
thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/
Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590' /></a>
File:Hammerstein.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Hammerstein.jpg License: Public domain Con-
tributors:
Rodgers_and_Hammerstein_and_Berlin_and_Tamiris_NYWTS.jpg Original artist: Rodgers_and_Hammerstein_and_Berlin_and_Tamiris_NYWTS.jpg:
Al Aumuller, World Telegram sta photographer
File:Me_and_Juliet_Playbill_2.jpeg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Me_and_Juliet_Playbill_2.jpeg
License: Public domain Contributors: Actual playbill from Me and Juliet, January 1954. Original artist: Playbill, Incorporated
File:Me_and_Juliet_confrontation.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Me_and_Juliet_confrontation.
jpg License: Public domain Contributors: Souvenir Program for Me and Juliet' Original artist: Not certain, but probably Vandamm Studios,
who seemed to do the photographic work for R&H at this point.
File:Me_and_Juliet_dance.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Me_and_Juliet_dance.jpg
License: Public domain Contributors: Souvenir Program for Me and Juliet Original artist: Unknown<a href='https:
//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https:
//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590'
/></a>
File:Musical1953-MeAndJuliet-OriginalPoster.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/5c/
Musical1953-MeAndJuliet-OriginalPoster.jpg License: Fair use Contributors: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/5c/c8/
83/5cc883060e2ec3bad8950e57db22ab01.jpg Original artist: Majestic Theatre
File:Rodgers.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Rodgers.jpg License: Public domain Contributors:
Rodgers_and_Hammerstein_and_Berlin_and_Tamiris_NYWTS.jpg Original artist: Rodgers_and_Hammerstein_and_Berlin_and_Tamiris_NYWTS.jpg:
Al Aumuller, World Telegram sta photographer